Her K9 whirled and leaped through the snow to do her thing. Kendra wanted to believe they were safe there, but she intended to turn the SUV around so that they could drive straight down to the road if needed.
Dom brought the computer inside, setting it on the kitchen counter. Unfortunately, they’d been forced to leave his overnight case behind at the hotel. She’d snagged the backpack and computer, her concern mostly to make sure she had food and protective gear for Smoky.
“I can’t believe they didn’t change the code.” Dom glanced around the interior of the upscale cabin. “Especially since this is such a nice place.”
“It’s a little pricey, not the sort of place your average elk hunter would use.” She glanced at the fireplace, shivering in the cold. She headed over to build a fire.
“Here, I can do that.” Dom nudged her aside. “You mentioned calling your sister-in-law. I’d like to know what she can dig up about Marshal Andrew Levy.”
“Okay.” Kendra moved back toward the kitchen. Smoky followed, staying close to her side. Their K9s were well trained not to be skittish around gunfire, but she believed her dog sensed they were in danger.
“Good girl,” she murmured, stroking her hand over Smoky’s fluffy coat. “Lie down.” Once her partner stretched out on the floor beside her, she pulled out her phone and punched in Raine’s number.
Her sister-in-law answered on the second ring. “Hello?” Her wary tone was because of the unknown number.
“Raine, it’s Kendra, obviously using a disposable phone.” She figured Chase had already filled in the rest of her siblings on what was going on. “I need to ask about a US Marshal by the name of Andrew Levy. Do you know him? Or is there a way you can find some information out about him?”
“His name doesn’t sound familiar,” Raine said, “but I’m happy to ask around. What role does Levy play in your parents’ plane crash?”
Kendra took a moment to explain about how Dominic had remembered his father using a New Jersey accent, along with the message he’d left for the marshals service. “An hour after Dom left the message, a gunman showed up at the hotel. We got away; everyone is fine,” she said quickly. “But now Levy wants to meet with Dominic. He claims Dom’s father testified against a man named Gunther Volter who is still serving a life sentence in federal prison.”
“Wow, that’s interesting.” Raine was silent for a moment. “As you know, my old boss was dirty, and he’s now dead. I reported to my new boss for barely a month before I resigned. I’m happy to call and ask him about Levy, but I’m not sure how much he’ll tell me.”
“We really need to know if we can trust Levy. Especially since the danger is ramping up big time. Not that Chase needs to hear that,” she hastily added. “He’ll just worry. But we’re operating under the assumption that Gunther Volter must have hired someone to go after Dominic.”
“Why do that after all this time has passed?” Raine asked. “Mob guys can be vicious about revenge, but Dominic didn’t do anything. He was a kid. It’s hard to imagine why they turned on him now.”
“Exactly my point.” The more she thought about it, the less Kendra understood the connection between whatever Dominic’s father had testified to twenty-four years ago and the attempts against Dom now. “I guess we should cooperate with Levy, if he can be trusted.”
“I’ll make a few calls,” Raine said. “Despite what happened with my boss a few months ago, it’s rare to have US Marshals who can’t be trusted.”
“Thanks, Raine.” It was nice to have someone to lean on. “If you could call me back at this number, that would be great.”
“Will do. Are you sure you’re safe?” Raine sounded concerned. “I can head out to stay with you and Dominic.”
“We’re safe. Nobody knows where we are,” Kendra assured her. “But having additional information would be really helpful moving forward.”
“I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” With that, Raine ended the call.
“It must be nice to have family around to support you.” Dom sighed. “For all I know, I have family back east who think I’m dead.”
“This must be difficult for you.” She couldn’t imagine what it would be like learning her parents were in witness protection and killed out of some misguided revenge. “The good news is that your dad made the right decision to protect you.”
“Yeah. I guess.” Dom didn’t look convinced. “I keep thinking back to my childhood. I can’t help but wonder if everything my father told me was a lie.”
“Don’t think of it that way.” Her heart ached for him. “I’m sure he wouldn’t have lied if he had another option.”
“Maybe he shouldn’t have gotten involved with the cartel in the first place.” Dom’s voice was bitter.
She couldn’t think of a way to make him feel better. “Your father probably didn’t intend to get involved in the cartel. He may not have had a choice.”
“There’s always a choice.” Dom abruptly turned and walked toward the fire. He stood with his back to her, clearly struggling with his emotions.
Rising to her feet, she crossed over to join him. The warmth of the fire felt wonderful, taking the chill from the room. She put a hand on his arm. “Dominic, your father walked away from everyone he knew to provide a new life for you. Relocating from New Jersey to Montana of all places. Maybe he could have made better choices, but at the end of the day, he chose to protect you.”
Dom reached over to cover her hand with his, as if grateful for the connection. “Are you always this positive? Determined to look on the bright side all the time?”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Pretty much.”
